After three years of rough regulation , supply chain risk is rising again, according to Oritain .

Fashion brands tend to treat traceability as a documentation exercise, the company said, relying on supplier declarations and chain-of-custody certifications to substantiate sourcing claims. But as forced labor enforcement expands and tariffs distort manufacturing networks, Oritain identified a growing number of companies that are confronting a new reality: one where paperwork alone may not be enough.

New data published by the forensic origin verification firm revealed that 64 percent of brands in 2024 had at least one “risk-consistent” prohibited cotton result. That figure jumped to 90 percent in 2025—marking what the New Zealand-born business defined as a “ traceability regression .”

“Trust takes hold when all parts of the ecosystem are connected by credible, independent evidence,” Alyn Franklin , CEO of Oritain, said.…